Why Red Sox Should—and Shouldn't—Panic About Garrett Crochet

That's two out of four very poor starts...

Boston Red Sox pitcher Garrett Crochet (35) throws a pitch in the second inning of the MLB Opening Day game between the Cincinnati Reds and the Boston Red Sox at Great American Ball Park in downtown Cincinnati on Thursday, March 26, 2026. The game was tied at 0 after four innings. | Sam Greene/The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Boston Red Sox starter Garrett Crochet was horrific in a Monday night loss to the Minnesota Twins, allowing a career-worst 10 earned runs in just 1 2/3 innings.

That, in concert with every single one of his pitches being more than a full mile per hour slower than his yearly average, could constitute cause for panic across Red Sox Nation for the next six days, until Crochet makes his next scheduled start on Sunday.

The Red Sox are built in large part on the idea that this rotation is elite, with Crochet as its indomitable ace. There are legitimate reasons to panic about not just his awful start Monday, but the start to his season as a whole. But overall, this is a complicated story that requires both sides to be told.

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Why there's cause for panic

Apr 13, 2026; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Boston Red Sox starting pitcher Garrett Crochet (35) delivers a pitch against the Minnesota Twins in the first inning at Target Field. Mandatory Credit: Jesse Johnson-Imagn Images | Jesse Johnson-Imagn Images

Crochet's stuff hasn't been the same this season, by and large. It was a trend we picked up on during spring training, when he punched out eight batters in 14 2/3 innings, the year after striking out 30 batters in 15 2/3 spring innings.

During the regular season, he's struck out 22 batters in 19 innings, but a 7.58 ERA through four starts wasn't what anyone had in mind, especially with two of those starts resulting in losses in games the Red Sox really would have liked to win.

Every Crochet pitch is down 1.2+ mph, only 3 whiffs on 24 swings, 8 hard-hit balls, 3 barrels, 2 homers, 3 walks, and a HBP. Holy fuck.

— Stats (@redsoxstats) April 14, 2026

The data hasn't been pretty, but the larger fear would be that a year after throwing an American League-most 205 1/3 innings, Crochet just might be a bit fatigued this season. He doesn't seem concerned about an injury of any kind, but that's obviously something to monitor as well.

Why Crochet might be fine

The argument here essentially boils down to "He's Garrett Crochet," and that might be the only argument anyone needs. Two or three good starts in a row, and no one is all that worried anymore.

Crochet also labored heavily in his last start, tossing 107 pitches against the Milwaukee Brewers (and pitching near his peak) in a game the Red Sox had to win. That game was in 40-degree weather, so the toll may have even been exacerbated.

If Crochet's velocity dips down any farther, we may have to reassess the conversation. But one bad start, even one as disastrous as this, shouldn't seal anyone's fate.